MELBOURNE – No matter who wins the 2026 Australian Open, tennis history will be rewritten this Sunday.
Novak Djokovic has the chance to win his 25th Grand Slam and become the person with the most major titles in history. Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, could become the youngest player to win all four major tennis championships.
A unique final, almost scripted, which came about after two dramatic semi-finals. First, the world number one defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev in five sets, after vomiting and being paralysed by cramps. 6-4, 7-6(7-5), 6-7(3-7), 6-7(4-7) and 7-5 was the result of the longest semi-final in the history of the tournament: 5 hours and 26 minutes.
“Recover and win like Rafa did? I’m not saying that, but it’s a clear example of how the body can endure if your mind is clear. With a positive attitude and mindset, little by little you can deal with it much better,” said the ATP ranking leader at a press conference when he was compared to Rafael Nadal’s semi-final at the 2009 Australian Open against fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. There, the Balearic won after 5 hours and 14 minutes of play, and two days later, he lifted the title against Roger Federer.
In the second match of a historic Friday, the Serbian eliminated Italian Jannik Sinner, two-time champion of the tournament, also in five sets, cutting a streak of 19 victories in Melbourne for the world number two.
Djokovic’s 38 years of age and a record of five consecutive defeats against the current Wimbledon champion mattered little. The 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 score will remain as the record of one of the most important matches of his career.
“I play tennis competitively mainly to reach Grand Slam finals. Here I am, so I can’t complain about anything. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment I’m experiencing tonight. I’ll think about the final later, but for me, this victory is almost equivalent to winning a Grand Slam,” he admitted at a press conference.
The old Nole appeared and broke the monotony of the Alcaraz-Sinner finals that was being experienced on the circuit. The two stars of the new generation have met in seven tournaments since the Italian’s return from his three-month doping ban. In six of them, they reached the final: Rome, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, the US Open and the ATP Finals.
Now, Melbourne will have another outcome. One that, in any case, has history. Alcaraz and Djokovic have played each other nine times, with five victories for the 22-year-old. In finals? Four matches. The Murcian celebrated at Wimbledon in 2023 and 2024, and the Balkan player at the 2023 Cincinnati Masters 1000 and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
‘There is history at stake every time we face each other. In a Grand Slam final there is a lot at stake, but it is no different from any other big match I play. My preparation is as it should be, and last year I beat him here too, in a very demanding match. We’ll see how fresh we both are,’ Djokovic said at almost three o’clock in the morning on Saturday.
All matches have history, he says, but in context, this one is unparalleled. Djokovic will try to reach the magic number and surpass the 24 he shares with Margaret Court to become the only person to have won 25 Grand Slam singles titles. Serena Williams’ 23 and Rafael Nadal and Steffi Graf’s 22 would be far behind. Roger Federer’s 20 are already in another conversation.
On Alcaraz’s side is the option to break the logic of time. So far, Nadal is the youngest tennis player to win all four Grand Slams during the Open Era. He did it in New York in 2010, when he was 24 years old.
His compatriot now has the option of overtaking him by almost two springs. At 22 (he turns 23 on 5 May), the current Roland Garros and US Open champion has a privileged chance to conquer the four most important cities in tennis. This will be his first final at Melbourne Park.
Numbers, records, milestones. The Australian Open final will have it all. It doesn’t matter if it’s Djokovic or Alcaraz. On 1 February 2026, the history books will be rewritten.
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